Big
Apple drops in Garden City, C. Peckham, April 04, 2018
There are rules to follow
when telling a story; and according to award winning journalist Craig Wilson of
CBS News, that means you observe, and report accurately and fairly. “You have
to tell both sides honestly”, he says. Solid advice for a class of would be
journalists and broadcasters.
He attributes his success
to hard work, a little luck and opportunity, and says, “All I did was act on
opportunity – and desperately try not to fail.”
Wilson says life is about intersections, and simple moments. And those
moments can change your life.
Craig Wilson’s moments
lead him to a successful career in broadcasting, and while he usually reports
good news, he’s been there for much of the bad also. He’s covered every war
since 1995, covered every school shooting since he arrived in the USA, and was
on the ground reporting from the place he calls home, New York city, when the
World Trade Centre was attacked in 2001.
Asked how he manages to stay focused on the
job during these events and Wilson says that it’s easy to remain a professional
when covering those bad moments, but it’s when the lights go out that things
come back on you. He says, “PTSD is real. You don’t have to fire a gun to get
PTSD, it’s what you witness, (and) observe.” To help keep him grounded he says
that it helps to be reminded that when they cover a bad news story, they get to
leave and go home after a few days, but for the people left behind, they’re
still dealing with it, sometimes will be for a very long time. Wilson says this is where the true story lies,
with the people, so when you tell the story you do so through the people that
are affected by the issue. He says, “Yes, things affect you, but never forget
why you’re there – you’re there to tell someone’s story”.
He says we should ask
ourselves who our audience is, because the goal is to make our stories personal
and impactful. This is why Wilson also recommends that when you write, you
write for an audience of one, but also says to keep it in mind that a larger
audience, with varied perceptions, is reading. To that end he says you have to
read things from all political sides and read from a variety of credible
sources. He says, “You should always think about - what is the intention of
everyone - because to understand the intention then reveals a little bit more
of the truth.”
Wilson believes that
people need to be engaged in their world and that connecting with media is a
way for them to do that. As a result, he feels a personal responsibility when
reporting, and says despite whatever his beliefs are, they don’t come through
in his work because it is his job to be a filter. A job he takes very
seriously. He says, “We own our stories, we own our experiences, they’re sort
of what define us and hopefully make us good at what we do.”
